Cover Letter Tips for Receptionists

The job search experts at Best-Job-Interview.com have developed this cover letter template for receptionists looking for their next opportunity. My annotations are italicized after each paragraph—feel free to update and adapt to your experiences or reword to reflect your own voice! The more personalized your letter is for its intended recipient, the better.

Your Name Your Address Your Contact details (phone and email) Even if you're submitting online, if you're given the opportunity to upload a document, format it like you would a letter. If you're using an email to send your cover letter, include your name and contact information in your email signature instead. Date Ms Mary Stevens Hiring Manager ABC Company 15 South Parkway Long Island, NY 11551 Again, an online submission process can throw a wrench in here, but if there are any contact details for the HR department online, call in and just ask the receptionist who will be reviewing the materials so you can personalize your letter. It looks much better than just "To whom it may concern" and shows you're willing to take initiative and go above and beyond, before you've even landed the interview. Dear Ms. Stevens: Err on the side of "Ms" over "Miss" or "Mrs." If the gender of a name is ambiguous, the safest option is to use the full name, i.e. "Dear Alex Stevens" Your job posting for a receptionist at ABC company caught my attention immediately as my skills and experience are a close match to your requirements for this position. I'm a longtime fan of ABC's work with companies like Generics Inc. Thank you for your consideration of my application and the enclosed resume. Notice the specificity of the opening paragraph—Jane names the company and indicates she has some knowledge of its work. If she'd encountered the post on a specific job site, or even better, received a word-of-mouth referral, she could have mentioned that here as well. Don't try to fake it—actually research any company you're applying to, and try to find some positive mention of them in the news to enrich your letter. I have three years work experience as a receptionist in a large organization where I was responsible for handling all calls and visitors in addition to providing extensive organizational and administrative support. I am a self-directed and independent worker who has taken the initiative to learn as much as possible about the company I work for in order to become a valuable information resource. Obviously this is a generic version of a skill summary—you would want to name your previous employer and possibly mention a specific example of something you'd learned about or a project you initiated. What's noteworthy is that it's not just a repetition of a resume bullet point, but a broader summary. Organizational and planning skills are among my particular strengths. I have developed a number of processes to manage my varied responsibilities tasks and make sure I meet the demands of a fast-paced work environment. I utilize technology to assist me wherever possible and have a good working knowledge of a number of computer applications including MS Office. This is fairly vague also—an experienced receptionist should be able to refer to specific processes or scheduling and project management programs. If this crossed my consultant desk, I would suggest Jane use more positive language like "I'm comfortable with content management systems and learning proprietary software on the job." My strong communication skills and outgoing, energetic personality ensure that I provide first-rate customer service to both clients and colleagues. I thoroughly enjoy dealing with a wide variety of people and take pride in being the face of an organization or the first point of contact over the phone. This is where a close reading of the job description comes in handy—highlight aspects of your personality, as Jane does, that will conform to the demands of the job. I like that Jane mentions both outside clients and her colleagues, since a good receptionist has to be able to get along with everybody. ABC Company enjoys an excellent reputation and I am confident that I would be an asset to your company. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my abilities in more depth and am available for an interview at your earliest convenience. Please contact me via phone or email to arrange a convenient time for us to meet. Thank you for your time and consideration and I hope to speak with you soon. End with a note about the company you're applying to, and indicate your availability for an interview. Make sure it doesn't sound like a demand or a hostage negotiation, but is breezy and polite! Sincerely, Jane Jobseeker

Aug 10, Job-Winning Receptionist Cover Letter

Read More at Best-job-interview